Improvement in steak-tenderers



E. RICHMOND.

Steak-Tenderers.

N0. 212,505. Patented'Feb. 18, 1-879.

WITNESSES INVBNTOR 2 w ATTORNEYS. I

NJETERS. FHOTO-UTHOGHAFHEH. WASHINGTON, D C.

:PATEN FFI CE.

ENOS RICHMOND, on TROY, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN 'STEAK-TENDERERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 212,505, dated February 18, 1879; application filed January 4, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ENos RICHMOND, of Troy, in the county of Rensselaer and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Steak-Tenderer; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side view; Fig. 2, a central section; Fig. 3, a top view; Fig. 4, a view of the face of the device which is adjacent to the meat.

My invention relates to a simple and handy kitchen implementforrenderin g beef-steak and similar cuts of meat more tender.

It is constructed upon the general principle of a plunger studded with chisel-pointed rods, and arranged in a case, in connection with an elevating-spring, so that a blow upon the knob at "the top of the plunger causes the chiselpointed rods of the latter to descend through the holes in the case and chop and cut the fibers of the meat, the rods being withdrawn from the meat into the case again by the action of the spring.

The improvement consists in completely inclosing the plunger in a case made of two detachable portions, and in providing said case with a laterally-projectin g handle and inde pendent devices for operating the plunger.

The invention also consists in the provision of a lifting device for supplementing the tension of the spring in case it be not sufficient to withdraw the cutting-rods from the meat-as when they enter a bone or the wood of the chopping-b1ock-all as hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings, A A represent the two parts of a cylindrical case, which parts are connected by the bayonet-slot a and studs 1), as in Fig. 1, so as to allow the one part to be readily removed from the other for cleaning. B is a laterally-projecting handle, attached to the upper portion, A, of the case, by which handle the device is held in position above the meat, and its position shifted as occasion requires. C is the plunger. This consists of a cylindrical block of wood, incased in metal, and fitting snugly in the case, in which it has a slight vertical play. This plunger has socketed in its the plunger in descending.

lower surface a series of downwardly-projectin g metal rods, 0, whose lower ends are reduced to sharp chisel-edges, which register with, andare arranged to protrude through, corresponding holes in the lower head of the casing. From the upper portion of the plunger there rises through the case a vertical standard, I), terminating in a knob, (Z, at the top, upon which the blow is delivered which causes the plunger to descend.

E is a spiral spring, which encircles the standard of the plunger and bears at the bot tom either directly or indirectly against the upper portion of the case, and at the top against the shoulder formed by the knob, so that the eflect of its tension is to hold the knob, the standard, and the attached plunger in an elevated position, with the chiselpoints of the latter withdrawn into the case.

Now, in using the device, as so far described, it will be seen that it is disposed with its perforated face down and next to the meat, and a series of blows is delivered by the palm of the hand (or mallet, if the meat be very tough) upon the knob at the top of the standard, while the case is shifted by the laterally-projecting handle to such portions of the meat as are required to be operated upon.

To supplement the tension of the spring and raise the cutting-points, in'case they stick in a bone or the chopping-block, I provide a sleeve, g, and athumb-lever,f, projecting in the same direct-ion with the handle B, and pivoted between lugs e c on the case. This sleeve g, I dispose around the spring, so that it both forms a protective jacket to exclude foreign sub stances and forms also a guide for the knob of The bottom of the sleeve is entirely detached from the case, and has an inwardly-projecting flange, t, (see Fig. 2,) which rests beneath the spring. In the side of the sleeve is formed a hole or seat, in which the end of the thumb-lever f projects. Now, if the spring should not be strong enough to raise the chisel-points from the tough meat or from the bone or wood of the choppingblock, in which they may become embedded, the pressure of the thumb is applied to the end of the lever f, and the sleeve 9 being lifted thereby, it raises the bottom end of the spring and increases its tension until it sh all be able to withdraw the chisel-points below from the substance in which they may be hung.

With respect to the merits of myilnprovement in the case, Iwould state that a case in which the cutting-rods are to be withdrawn is liable to become foul from the particles of meat which would find lodgment in the same, and the construction of the case in two detachable part-s readily permits the same to be cleaned, and this difficulty avoided.

With respect to the use of the thumb-lever f, I do not limit myself simply to its combination with the plunger and spring for augmenting the tension of the latter; but I may use said lever in connection with any verticallyadjustable or reciprocating plunger for lifting the same without the use of a spring, if found desirable.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new is- 1. In a meat-tenderer, the plunger 0, having a spring and suitable cutters, surrounded by a case, A A, arranged as shown, to completely a vertically-reciprocatin g plunger havin g teeth provided with cutting-edges, of a thumb-lever for imparting a positive lifting action to said plunger, substantially as described.

4. The thumb-lever f, combined with the case, the plunger, the spring, and the sliding sleeve, substantially as described.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 2d day of J annary, 1879.

ENOS RICHMOND.

Witnesses:

Enwn. W. BYRN, SoLoN U. KEMON. 

